The present invention relates to an insulating composite fabric for use with livestock containment facilities such as a hen house or the like. Such facilities have window openings therein, and chicken wire is used to close the openings, but no glass or other means is employed to provide protection from the weather. It is particularly important to provide an insulation means for closing such openings in colder weather.
The invention insulation means is utilized to close such openings, the insulation means being in the form of a composite panel which is normally stored on the exterior of the facility in folded position adjacent the bottom of an opening. Accordingly, the panel should be vertically foldable, so that it can be unfolded from the stored position and pulled upwardly to seal off the opening whereupon it is attached in operative position. When it is desired to remove the panel from its operative position over the opening, it is lowered and vertically folded until it returns into its stored position.
The exterior of the panel is exposed to the elements, and accordingly it is important that it be waterproof and not subject to deterioration due to the effects of the sun. The interior of the panel engages the chicken wire as it moves relative thereto, thereby causing abrasion. It is therefore important that the inner surface of the panel be formed of a material which is abrasion resistant and which will have a long life even when subjected to abrasion. Additionally, the inner surface of the panel may be splashed with water from inside the facility when the facility is being cleaned, and it is desirable that this inner surface also be waterproof.
The present invention represents an improvement over the prior art composite fabric disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,298 which is employed for the same purpose. In the patented construction, the outer layer exposed to the elements is composed of a knitted textile fabric having tightly interlaced synthetic textile yarns. The knit is a warp knit, and the fibers of the yarns may be nylon, vinyl, rayon, polyester or polyolefin textile yarns. The knit is tight in order to provide water-repellency properties and to minimize the amount of wind blown rain which might be driven through the knitted fabric. However, it is impossible to provide a waterproof outer surface with this construction, and water will penetrate the composite fabric through the outer surface of the fabric.
In addition, this prior art composite fabric employs an inner surface of the same construction as the outer surface. As discussed above, such inner surface is not waterproof as is desirable. Furthermore, this knitted textile fabric arrangement does not have good abrasion resistance characteristics, and therefore it may wear out prematurely.